Reading machine



May 6, 1941. '.YJ.' w. BRY'CE 'READING MACHINE Filed oct. 29, A 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lmlllullym` f i INVEN-ro Y. ATTORNEY May 6, 1941.

J. W. BRYCE READING MACHINE Filed oct. 29, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 6, 1941. J. w. BRYCE 2,240,545

READING MACHINE Filed Oct. 29, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 AMI. ,5 v

A'TTORNEY May V, 1941. W, BRYCE Y 2,240,546

READING MACHINE Filed 061.29, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNvENT ATTORNEY Patented 6, 1941 READING MACHINE James W. Bryce, Glen Ridge, N. '1., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application october 2s, 193s, serial No. 108,192

(el. ess-smi) 9Claims.

This invention .relates to reading character or indicia representations vdirectly and converting such data to current indications for controlling purposes.

machines which are provided with arrangements adapted to create light ray images oi' such representations so as to cause by a comparing mechanism certain actions to be instituted thereby effooting/the reading of such characters or indications.

Anotherobject of the present invention re.

More speciiically, an`obj`ect of thel present invention relates to improvements in lates to the provision of means for reading printed or formed characters by ray responsive means and to the provision of compensating means for reading the characters in the event that the said characters are not in perfect alinement or properly positioned on the character record retaining means or medium.

4 The present invention will be disclosed in certain preferred embodiments to illustrate the gendium with like characters or indications borne l by a comparing maskor member until complete agreement of the characters is indicated; however, it has been found that when the usual printed or formed matter or data is to be read by the systems proposed, which are known by those skilled in the art, such known systems are impractical and oi no value owing to the factv that compensating means for mis-alinement of the characters is not provided. It is well known that the characters printed, for example, by the usual typewritlng or printing devices are not all allocated in the same piane, or that the spacing thereof maybe irregular and varying, or in other words, the characters or indications are irregudisposed thereon, the present known reading systems would be inoperative due to the lack of compensating means for incorrect alinement or irregular disposition o! the characters on the record sheets.

It was mentioned that one feature of the present invention is the provision of an improved reading machine and one including compensating means in such character reading systems whereby indications or characters formed on a record medium but not perfectly alined or spaced may be read, instantaneously, irrespective of the disposition of the indications or characters thereon, to control associated indicating or manifesting devices.

The present invention is an improvement and modification of the reading system disclosed in a copending application, Serial No. 107,819, dated October 27, 1936. The system described in thesaid'application, briey and broadly, come prises a movable scanning device to compare the characters of the record sheet with like characters of the scanning or comparing device. The comparing member or device has disposed thereon all the characters which may appear on the record sheet. In addition thereto, a plurality of similar characters are disposed thereon which are slightly offset in a predetermined plane. The characters of the comparing member are offset in one direction and the said member is adapted to be rotatable in another direction, in this manner eiecting scanning and alining of the charactervto be read in both the horizontal and vertical planes; that is, in the event the characters are disposed `so as to be mis-alined in either plane. the device is effective to read said characters. The rotary comparing member is interv posed between the record sheet and light relarly disposed on the record medium. In forml ing record sheets, there is no assurance that the spacing of the characters will be `perfectly regular and that the position oi the characters will always be in perfect vertical and horizontal alinement. Unless the characters on the record sheet `are formed accurately and perfectly, that is,

properlyalined and equally spaced, and regularly sponsive devices, so that upon agreement of the characters of the record sheet and comparing member, the light responsive devices are arranged to be operated, dueto the modiiication of the light rays by the coincidence of the characters, to indicate such a condition. Upon operation o f the light responsive devices, electronic elements are adapted to be activated to" control associated mechanisms. The electronic elements comprise electrical discharge tubes of the type in u which the discharge is started by a, momentary application of a signal condition'thereto, the discharge continuing independently yoi theiapplied signal condition until interrupted by an associated control means. In one form the electrical discharge tube may comprise a gas discharge path which is electrostatically controlled. A convenlent form of discharge tubeior such systems comprises a` gas lled thermionic tube oi: such construction that when the anode is connected to positive battery and a certain potential is applied to the grid the tube will be activated and current will iiow from the anode tothe cath.

ode. As soon as the plate current begins to-ow, the grid is instantly surrounded by a sheath of positive ions and has no further eiect in controlling the plate circuit; hence removal of the grid potential will not stop theplate current, once it is started, but it can readily be stopped by removing the plate voltage. The function of the grid may, therefore, be likened to a trigger. The amount of power required to start the tube is exceedingly small. A form of the thermionic tube having these characteristics set forth is disclosed in the Langmuir Patent No. 1,289,823 and commonly referred to as thyratron" tubes. Op-

eration ofthe Ytubes described then is adapted to cause the associated apparatus such as relay or control devices to be operated until the anode circuit of the discharge tube is opened. Several types of associated mechanisms are shown to be applied to the system in the said application., such as accumulator devices of well known statistical machines and devices such as adding machines, typewriters, and the like employing individual key levers for controlling purposes.

The present invention differs from the inven' tion just described and disclosed in the afore-A mentioned application, in that, instead of providing rotary comparing means and sensing the diiferent characters disposed thereon progressively, the comparing mean-s is provided to be positioned or oscillated between predetermined limits to provide for reading mis-alined characters and in addition thereto means areprovided to sense all the characters. disposed o n the comparing means concurrently. The comparing means is provided with the characters which may appear on the record medium and also a plurality oi oilset characters to compensate for irregular disposition ofv the characters on the record medium. The ready ing of the characters is effected by projecting a plurality of images corresponding to the characters to .be read upon the comparing 'means'.

Fig. 2 shows a vertical sectionof the comparing y mechanism.

Fig. 3 shows a circuitdiagram for the invention.

Fig. shows a vertical section of one type oi controlled device.

Figs. 5A and 5B show a type of comparing member.

Fig. 6 shows a record sheet having irregularly disposed characters thereon.

Fig. 7 shows a. timing chart as applied to the Y present invention.

Referring now to'Figs. 1, 2. 5A and 5B, a comparing mask or member 'l is shown interposed between a record sheet 2 and a group of photo-cells 3 so that a light source t is adapted to illuminate the record sheet and by means of the condenser system to project the images ofthe char-L acters on the record sheet upon the comparing -rnember so that the light rays impinge upon t-he photo-cells. The comparing member has disposed thereon all the characters which may appear on the record sheet andas shown in Figs. 5A and 5B a plurality of similar characters -a to e are slightly oiset from each other in the vertical plane, the purpose of which will be lunderstood mounted on member -il and adapted to be posieach image projected to a different character;

therefore, as the comparing means is positioned to compensate for the irregular disposition of the characters, correspondence of the characters: read and certain of the characters on .the comparing means is eiected. A light responsive device for each character image projected is ,provided;.

therefore, upon agreement of the said characters, the light responsive devices are rendered effective v.to trigger gas discharge tubes of the type described hereinbefore.- The tubes remain operative until the anode circuits thereof are opened l which is near the/end of the. machine cycle. Control elements are rendered operative due to the current ow in said anode circuits, and may --be employed to control any `suitable indicating devices.'

vVarious other objects and advantages of the invention will 'beobvious from the following par-k ticular. description of one form of mechanism l embodying the invention .--or fromv an inspection ofthe accompanying drawings; and the invention also constitutes certain new and useful features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings: l 'Fig. 1 shows a plan view' of the reading machine.

, record sheet is fed a distance equivalent to the tioned or rocked vertically by means of cam il cooperating with the cam roller i2 attached to one end of the extension Ii3 oi arm l0. The cam ii is iixed to shaft 23 which is adapted to be rotated by any suitable means, one method as indicated by the belt i2! and pulley |20 through r the agency of a clutch mechanism shown in Fig. 4.

The record sheet 2 is positioned between the guide plates I4 Aand fed therethrough by the rollers I5, one of which is actuated step by step by ratchet wheel i8 and controlled by the record feed magnet I8 and paw] I1 so that upon energization and deenergization of the said magnet the spacing between thecharacters disposed thereon. A sensing .or reading position is provided and'is shown in the form oi an opening I9 in one of the guide plates Il.

A plurality of lens systems 5 are arranged be-y tween. the record sheet and the comparing member so .thatsl plurality of images corresponding to the character to be read are projected concurrently on the said member. The number of images generated .by the lens system is equal to the number oi' diiierent characters disposed on the comparing member. In this manner it is seen that the character to be read ori Vthe said record vsheet' is compared concurrently with all ihe characters ,appearing on the comparing mem- Referring to Figs. 5A and 5B. five similar characters 8- -a to e are shown to be provided for each different character disposed on the comparing member. This numberlmay be increased or'decreased as seen iit. The similar characters 8`a to e i'or all the diil'erent characters are shown to be staggered slightly in the vertical plane. The

purpose of this arrangement is to provide a method of matching the characters of the com'- paring member with the characters on the record sheet even though the characters on the sheet are not in perfect alinement or regularly disposed thereon. It will be obvious that with this method of reading characters, even though they are displaced or misalined in the horizontal plane, it is possible to match the characters thereon `due to the arrangement of the offset characters on the .comparing member. It will be evident too since the comparing member is lpositioned or rocked vertically that the matching of the char' acters displaced or mis-al-ined in the vertic plane ls eiected. v

`It has been mentioned that the comparing member I is positioned or moved by means of cam Il, the configuration of which is such that the comparing member is' moved upwardly at member can be eiected; and it is seen by virtue.

of positioning the comparing member to present the Aoiset characters disposed thereon in the planes of the images that matching or correspondence of the characters can be effected, even though the characters of lthe record sheet may be irregularly disposed thereon as shown, `for example, in Fig.

When the characters on the comparing member and the characters on the record sheet match or correspond (see Figs. A and 5B), the minimum amount of light is permitted to be impinged on the associated photo-cells. In this description it is assumed that the characters 0nthe comparing member are either transparent ormerely openings in an opaque mask. Referring now to Fig. 3, the photo-cell and amplier 'circuits are so arranged that when the minimum Y amount of light fallsupon the photo-cell 3, the

grid of the electrical discharge tube of the type described hereinbefor'e is triggered to permit current flow in the anode circuit thereof. These types of controlling circuits areV well known and it is deemed not necessary to describe them further. Let it be assumed that the rent flow in the plate circuit just described. relay 3| is energized and remains energized until the control distributor 28 opens the said circuit,

Energization of the relay 3| operates its associated contacts 33 to connect one side of the battery 28 by conductors 34 and 35 to a conducting segment 38 of` the distributor 31. so thatv when the associated brush 51. (secured to shaft 23) is advanced to the segment connected to said` battery, which in the assumed example is the segment ,2 of the distributor, a circuit is completed by means of conductor 51 through the coil of magnet 38 which is connected to battery 28, thereby energizing said control magnet.

The energized relay ormagnet 38 may represent any desired type of controlling element to control any suitable indicating or registering means representing the condition just described,

namely, the correspondence of the characters on the record sheet and comparing member. A particular type of controlled device will be explained which may be used in the reading system described. The magnet 38 represents, in the example to beiset forth, the control element of a Well known statistical machine. The application in this instance may besuch that it is desired to enter an amount in an item entering means or accumulator in accordance with the character disposed ion the record sheet. I

Referring vnow to Fig, 4,-the operation of the item entry means, generally designated A, will be brieiiy described. This unit is well known in'the art and requires no detailed description;

for a detailed description reference may be made to Patent No. 1,967,617. Magnet 38 may be energized at variouspoints in the cycle of the machine (see Fig. 7), depending upon the timed Vinterval of the matching of the characters of the record sheet and the comparing member. Energlzation of the magnet 38 attracts the armature 43 to displacethe attached lever 44, causing the latching members 45, slidably mounted on shaft 41, to engage the member 46 integral with gear 2 character on the record sheet is matched with one of the "2 characters on the comparing member (Fig. 5A) to permit the minimum amount oflight to fall: upon the corresponding photo-cell thereby operating'the corresponding photo-cell circuit and amplier unit to trigger the grid of the' corresponding discharge tube 25 to permit current to flow in the plate. circuit thereof which is as follows: `time positive terminal of battery 28, control distributor 23 (securedv to shaft 23), conductor 30,-coil of relay IL anode and cathode of tube 25, conductor 32 to battery 28. Current flows in the circuit traced until the anode circutt is opened, irrespective of lthe duration of the grid condition of the tube. The discharge tube control distributor 23 permits the anode circuit to be established practically the entire machine cycle (Fig. 7) acomplete cycle isequivalent to a complete revolution of the main drive shaft 23'; therefore, due to the cur- 42 rwhich .is loosely mounted on the shaft 41. Gear 42, when thus coupled to shaft 4l, is rotated thereby through the gearing thereto from the main shaft 23 and indicated generally as gears 40 and 4I; and gear 42 also causes the rotation of gear 49 todisplace the accumulator index wheel 58.

If, as assumed, the characters 2" are in correspondence, the segment 2 on the distributor 31 and brush 56 complete a circuit through magnet'38 when'the brush is advanced to engage the said segment. Magnet 38 is energized at this point in the cycle to cause the index wheel to be rotated, and said index wheel continues to rotate until entry of the character has been effected. Upon entry of the character in the accumulator, the clutch element 45 is declutched by a nger 5I carried on a bar 52, This operation of the accumulator is well known and fully explained in lthe cited patent and therefore needs no further causes the plate circuit described to be opened, l thereby restoring the tube 25 to a normal non- Aconducting condition and therebyl deenergizing the relay 3l, l

It is seen that near` the beginning of thev machine cycle, the magnet I8 is connected directly across the battery 28 -by means of the control distributor 29. and near the end of the cycle is deenergized thereby to operate the said magnet to perform preparatory functions of the machine such as,` for example, operating the record feeding device described hereinbefore to present the next character thereon to the sensing position.

It should be mentioned at this time that it is preferred to start all the controlling elements of the system inunison such as the comparing member, control distributors and the accumulating or similarly controlled device, that is, to start the said control elements froml a normal starting position D, as indicated in Figa '7.

For thisreasorras mentioned hereinbefore, the control elements are actuated bythe main driving shaft 23. The cam is secured thereto and also the various control distributors 29 and Si. The controlled device, namely, the accumulator, is actuated by thesaid'shaft through thev gearing wand 4|. Referring to Fig. 4, a driving element such as.pulley and a clutch operating member |23. integral therewith are rotatably mounted on shaft 23 and continuously rotated by any suitable means through the means such as belt |2|.A A.' suitable supporting member |22 for the dog |24, which is pivotally mountedv thereon, isI ilxedly secured to shaft 2t. llcie member |22 and dog |26 have protruding fingers such as indicated by reference character |25 and are adapted to be engaged by thetstop. |26 which is an extension of amature |28 when the parts are in position as indicated inthe figure. When the clutchmagnet |21 is energized to attract its armature |28, the stop |26 releases the member |22 and dog |24 sol that by means of spring |29, the dog is caused to engage the clutch member |23 which is continuously rotated thereby causing the shaft 28to'be rotated.

With reference to Fig. 3, the machine is started by depressing the start key vI3!! to close the associated contact |3i connecting the magnet |21 directly across the battery. Energization of the said magnet causes the contacts v|322 to be closed to establish a locking circuit for the magnet through the. normally closed contacts ofthe stop key |33, maintaining the magnet energized until the stop key is operated to open the contacts in the locking circuit. Energization of magnet i2? causes the clutch to connect the driving member |23 to the member |22 by dog l |263 to rotate the shaft 23.

Upon operation of the stopkey |33v the magnet is deenergized so as to position the stop |26 in the path of the fingers |25 causing th dog |24 to be disengaged rom the clutch member |23 causing the lcontrolling elements of the machine to be stopped in the normal home position.

It has been shown that upon operation of the start key |30, shaft 23 is caused to be rotated, and that the cam il then causes the comparing member I to be positioned upwardly to the extent that the entire group of similar characters S-a to e for all the different characters are presented in the paths of the corresponding individual images of the character to be read. Thus correspondence cf the characters on the record and said member is effected. The comparing' member is returned to the normal position as shown in the figure at the end of the cycle (Fig. 7). Upon correspondence of the said characters a corresponding photocell V3 is operated to trigger the associated discharge tube 25 thereby energizing the corresponding control relay, which permits the control magnet 38 to be energized at the proper interval in the tinied cycle,

It is understood then that the character dis,-

posed on the record sheet is compared with all the different characters on the comparing member at the same time and that the movement or positioning of the'comparing member, to present the similar groups of characters on the said member at one time to the individual images cory 'and as indicated by the dotted lines, the characters should all be positioned therein to be regularly disposed on the sheet and in addition thereto should be equally spaced. The reading systems known today are entirely limited to read i characters disposed in the margin lines shown,

that is, only characters which are regularly disposed. whereas the description just set forth.

shows how characters irregularly disposed on the record sheet may be read by the comparison method and that the character on the record sheet can be compared with all the characters on the comparing member at one time to control various indicating means in accordance with the character read.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devicey illustrated and in its operation may be made by, those skilled in the art without departing from/the spirit of the invention. It is the intention therefore to be limited only as `indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is as follows: 1. In a reading device of the character described controlled by 'a record medium having various characters disposed thereon, means for determining the identity of a character on the medium comprising'the combination of a comparing member having all the'different characters to be read disposed thereon, and of means for comparing simultaneously thesaid character withall the different characters on the member for identifying the true character significance of the character to be read, and means controlled by the determining means to indicate the identity of the character upon determination of its true character signicance.

2. In afreading device oi' the character described controlled by a record medium having various charactersv disposed thereon, means vfor determining the identity of a character on the medium comprising the combination of a comparing member having all the different characters to be read disposed thereon, and of means for comparing-simultaneously the said character with all the different characters.on the member for identifying the true character significance" 3. In va reading device of the character defscribed controlled by a record medium having various characters disposed thereon, means for determining the identity of a character on the medium comprising paring member having al1 the different characters to be read disposed thereon, and of means for comparing simultaneously the said character the combination cfa comscribed controlled by a record medium having' various characters' disposed thereon, means for determining the identity of a` character on the medium comprising the combination of a comparing member having al1 the different characters to be read disposed thereon, and of means parison of like characters, a work circuit, and means controlled by the reading means for influencing the work circuit when correspondence for comparing simultaneously the said character with all the different characters on the member-` for identifying the true character significance of the character to be read, indicatingmeans and control means therefor, and .means controlled by the determining means for controlling the control means .upon determination of the true character significance of the character to be read thereby controlling the 'indicating means to indicate the identity of the character read.

'5. In a reading device of the character described controlled by aIrecord medium having various characters disposed thereon', a comparing member having all the diiierent characters to be read disposed thereon, means for producing a plurality of images oi the character to be read for projecting simultaneously each one of the said images upon the different characters on the comparing member, means for determining` a condition oi correspondence between one oi the characters on the comparing member and one oi the character images projected thereupon,

ing each character formed on the mediumto determine the true character signiilcance thereof. said reading means including the combination oi a comparing member bearing comparing characters ior identifying4 the regularly disposed characters on the medium,`oi means for comparing each character to be read simultaneously with all the said diilerent comparing characters for 4 identifying the true significance oi the said character to be read in the event this character is disposed in the normal position on the medium upon comparison or like characters. of additional sets ci comparing characters formed on the membertoridentiiyingtheirregularly disposedcharacters on the medium. and oi means including the' mentioned comparing meansA for effecting comparisonotthechar'actertobereadwitheach additional set oi comparing characters for identiiying the true character signiricancevor the charcctertobereodinthe eventthecharacter `than. the said normal positionl upon 'the 00mis effected between the compared like characters.

7. In a reading device of the character described controlled by a record medium having various characters disposed thereon, which characters may be irregularly disposed thereon in different positions other than the normal positions where they should appear, means for reading each character formed on the medium to determine the true character signicance thereof, said reading means comprising the combination of a comparing member bearing a plurality of sets of differentcharacters, each set comprising all the characters appearing on the medium and each character of each set formed on the comparing member in an offset position with respect to similar characters of the other sets, certain of the said characters formed on the mem- Y ber being adapted for identifying the regularly disposed characters on the medium and the remaining characters formed thereon being* adapt- 1 ed for identifying the irregularly disposed char.- acters, of means for comparing the character to be read simultaneously with all the characters oi one of said sets of characters. said comparing means including means for effecting comparison oi the -said character to be read'successively with the remaining sets of characters on the member for determining the true character signicance of the character irrespective oiA its disposition on the medium; and means controlled by the reading means when correspondence is eected between one of the characters of one of said sets disposed on the comparing member and one of the character images projected thereupon for indicating the identity of the character read'.

8. In a 'reading device of the character described controlled by a record medium having various characters disposed thereon in diiierent positions other than the normal positions where they should appear, a comparing member'bearing a plurality of groups of characters which appear on the medium, the. said characters oi each group being identical and arranged in a predetermined relationship with respect to each other, the predetermined relationship of the said characters in each group determining the extent of irregularity of the disposition of the characters on the medium which can be compensated for by the said groups or characters formed on the comparing member. means for producing images of the character to be read and :proiecting'sixnultaneousiy the said images upon one of the characters oi each group, means for bringing the remaining characters of each group progressively into cooperative relationship with the said projected images. and means for indicating acondition of coincidence or one of the characters of ,the said groups disposed on the comparing mem- 9. The invention vset forth in the precedingclaim characterized by the provision oi means yisdisposedinpositiononthemedium'other` for rendering the last mentioned means etiective selectively at a diiierential time depending' upon the identity of the character read. v

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